When it comes to the perfect job, everyone’s got their own wishlist. Some people want a fat paycheck, others are gunning for a fancy title, and some want unlimited vacation days. But for Gen Z, their ultimate dream is to work less than five hours a day!
One recruiter was blown away during an interview with a young job seeker when the interviewee said he was “all about that work-life balance,” leaning heavily on the “life” side of things.
“I had this interview with a Gen Z intern today who promotes work-life balance. He said he doesn’t wanna work more than 5 hours a day and isn’t a big corporate fan,” wrote InFeedo’s Sameera Khan.
Of course, this young job seeker also wanted to be paid 50,000 Indian rupees for the five-hour day. While some might not think 600 bucks is much, it’s over eight times the average monthly salary for a Gen Zer in India.
Well, Khan’s post blew up on Twitter quickly, with over 780,000 views
Someone commented, “This guy’s demands are totally unrealistic! He’s got no experience.”
Others came to his defense, saying, “Let him prioritize work-life balance! Props to Gen Z for taking down hustle culture.”
Khan decided to jump in and share her thoughts on the matter, saying, “It’s fine to prioritize work-life balance, but when you’re looking for those first few internships, don’t forget about the importance of learning, growing, and getting involved. The balance will naturally fall into place.”
Lewis Maleh, CEO of Bentley Lewis, said he believes in working hard to make it in life, though doesn’t think balance comes at the expense of working hours. For him, it’s about finding that sweet spot where you can work hard and still take care of yourself.
Essentially, work-life balance is all about finding an integrated approach where you can thrive both in your job and personal life.
On one side, however, we have hustle culture believers posting their epic 5 a.m. morning routines on TikTok and hustling with multiple jobs, while on the flip side, you’ve got the “lazy girl jobs” crews taking a stand against capitalism’s impact on their mental health.
According to Maleh, it all comes down to “privilege.” Some Gen Zers have more opportunities and resources, so they can work hard and make it happen. But then, you got the occasional ones with unrealistic expectations, and that’s the ones who give the hard-working Gen Zers a bad rep.
Maleh’s noted that he knows plenty of young folks who are busting their butts and that it’s not fair to judge all of them based on those who are asking for high pay with minimal effort.
Monica McCoy, the CEO and founder of Monica Motivates, agrees, saying we have to stop with the gimmicky generational buzzwords and nicknames. Judging a whole group based on that one viral list of demands is biased.
